While living in Huntington Beach, Ca. I met a very lovely young lady hitting against the wall one day and of course without hesitation, asked if she wanted to hit. She did and we did ... So immediately I discovered she had very good technique in ball control with reasonable pace and shot select. We weren't playing a match but during a moment when we sat for some water, I told her of my assessment of her game off the ground. We played this game called 21.

It's merely a ground stroke game where you don't serve. Someone starts the point off with an underhand delivery that has to be beyond the service line. From there, game on. your objective is to win the point in anyway you can. We were toe to toe, I'd win a point, she'd win a point. Ok here's my point, based upon ground strokes only, she was equal to what I gave her. I have a fairly big first & second serve and placement has always been a weapon for me. If we were playing a match, I doubt she would have faired well against my serve but taking that out of the mix, she had a good chance of winning.

If you look at some of the biggest hitters on the WTA and matched them up against an ATP player, you would still need to drop down pretty far in the rankings before it would be an equal match because men have the upper body strength that even the best hitters can't match.

Would Serena do well against say James Blake? No I doubt it. But would you need to grab someone below 1000 for her to do well? I doubt that as well. Why would a guy be in the 500's or below 100 in the World if you contend there's very little between the top and bottom?

Next question: There are many celebrated Coaches out there who have helped many of the top players in the world but all things are not equal. What a coach achieves with one player does not mean he will achieve with another. It's what that player brings to the table. Not everyone is destined to be a Nadal or Federer no matter how hard they work. There's an unknown factor in all players that cap their overall results. Some guys will never win a major no matter how hard they try. They can even have an occasional win over say Federer or Nadal but when it comes to the majors, the Champions rise to another level that most players just can't do.

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The only acceptable loss is when your opponent was better than you on that given day.
It is never acceptable to lose when your opponent was not.

Greetings, does anyone know of a stress-free way to teach kids to play tennis?
St Martins Old Boy

"Tennis In 2 Hours" by Oscar Wegner (in any majoar bookstore) and his DVDs (available online) teaches how easy it is to learn tennis with proper basics, instinct and feel. Kids take to it like fish to water, and you will be able to rally with your child in minutes while demonstrating the techniques used by the pros right from the start.

Oscar also offers a certification program for parents to insure proper application of his methodology, whether the child is being coached by the parent or someone else.

Try it - Richard Williams did and got pretty good results...

How good can your game get? You too can play like the Pros with The Wegner Method.
Discuss The Wegner Method here at TW in the MTM forum or visit www.tennisteacher.com for more info.

There is no doubt that parents can teach there kids correctly as long as they understand technique. That's why I believe parents should take a technique lesson or two or pickup some serious instructional videos before they make the attempt to coach.

To be a quality tennis coach, one has to know the essence of tennis.It is very difficult to grasp everything concerning tennis, and put it in few sentences.Draw clear line between priorities and make up.So, to take few tennis lessons or picup serious instructional video will not do it.Why?Because most of the parents do not understand the basics (any athletic activity, tennis) so they will get distorted picture because of lack of knowledge.They would not be able to see what to look for and what is going on.
Then, they will apply this distorted picture to teach their children which will result in failure.

To become quality tennis coach needs experience, knowledge, passion, talent, committment.All this takes a lot of time, and it is actually never ending process which just very few live, the others just can talk about it.

To be a quality tennis coach, one has to know the essence of tennis.It is very difficult to grasp everything concerning tennis, and put it in few sentences.Draw clear line between priorities and make up.So, to take few tennis lessons or picup serious instructional video will not do it.Why?Because most of the parents do not understand the basics (any athletic activity, tennis) so they will get distorted picture because of lack of knowledge.They would not be able to see what to look for and what is going on.
Then, they will apply this distorted picture to teach their children which will result in failure.

To become quality tennis coach needs experience, knowledge, passion, talent, committment.All this takes a lot of time, and it is actually never ending process which just very few live, the others just can talk about it.

You make some very excellent points the correct technique must be started from day 1 or you have to undo a lot of muscle memory. Which technique has been proven to be the most successful? After all, tennis is plagued by the disease of contradictory data, one coach teaches closed stance forehands despite the fact every pro prefers hitting with an open stance forehand. One coach teaches step forward into the ball when I teach tennis is so filled with myths and perceptions such as this. As an example, I think this whole idea of stepping forward into the ball is hogwash. Here is how I teach it. This is one of the many myths that inhibits playing your best tennis. Please let me give a summary. The game is filled with too many teaching myths. By the way, I grew up with Jimmy Connors as a neighbor about six years older than me and followed him closely. Here is a great summary of what I mean.

"A few of the myths in the game are approach up the line, can’t spin the ball with an eastern grip, can’t hit the ball with a western grip, and there are several others. But there’s no more damning myth than to tell somebody to move their feet more. This became clear to me at the US Open a few years ago. It was hot and Lleyton Hewit and Gustavo Kuerten came on the court.....Both of them are great players and were at this time. I was most amazed that they took no more than two movements for any ball after the split step, and I just couldn’t believe that. It called into question so many things I had learned. I grew up watching Jimmy Connors with happy feet, literally machine gun feet, and here I was watching two of the best players on the tour, doing one tenth the amount of work that Jimmy Connors did, and probably half the work that I tried to do for each ball, and they did so without ever losing balance, they were always well loaded for their shots, and they were never late, never late at all. What I’ve come to know is that all those steps that I took because I was so concerned about being in the right position took time away from me, there just wasn’t enough time for me to get into the right position because the ball was coming back and forth too quickly, and now efficiency of movement is much more important than the quickness of the movements.

This brings me to loading, which I would say is at least misinterpreted or misunderstood often. I can’t stand hearing the statement “hit off the front foot.” I think the back foot lays the ground work for every groundstroke. If that back foot is not in position and not fully loaded, we are incapable of hitting quality consistent ground strokes. Indeed, sometimes we fire from out back foot to our front foot, and that's understandable, but more times than not, at least at the professional level, the loading and the firing continues the player in another direction other than forward."

I hope you would consider that tennis instruction is most effective if it is simplified. I am a tennis historian publishing a book on The Real History of Tennis instruction, excerpts which can be read at

I am an MTM coach, I teach per the tenets of Oscar Wegner's Modern Tennis Methodology, which though 40 years old and adopted by Spain in the early 1970s when Oscar was one of three National Coaches, was laid out in 1989 in his revolutionary book "Tennis in 2 Hours." Oscar claims tennis is simple using a few simple instructions, and the proof is that vindicated by evidence and history that MTM is the quickest way to learn to play tennis.

A few quotes, or do you disagree with these?

Oscar is a great coach. He makes the most advanced concepts of the game simple and clear. In a few days he helped me regain my strokes and my feel for the ball. Bjorn Borg, winner of eleven Grand Slam Tennis Titles. If you doubt the effect Oscar had on Bjorn Borg's game, read the History of Tennis Instruction 1992 entry.

Bud Collins, NBC Commentator/Historian: I know people that couldn’t learn tennis in two lifetimes, but they never met Oscar Wegner. This is a short course of you hitting balls, lots of them, soon. You will find it worthwhile to dump the past and join Oscar in your tennis future.”

"I took Oscar and John up on their invitation to bring two total beginners and let Oscar teach them using EZ Tennis. I stood alongside Oscar as two personal friends of mine, a mother and her son, played tennis for the first time ever. I was amazed as within 45 minutes, they were rallying from just beyond the service line, not only keeping balls in play, without putting very many balls in the net, but hitting off both sides with topspin. They had no idea what they had accomplished, as it was so easy, but they were having a great deal of fun. The husband watching, knew he had just watched his wife and son become two new tennis players!" ~Myra Rowan; Executive Director, St. Louis District Tennis Association

Hi John, I really enjoyed our session. I got much more out of it than I believed possible. I believe my game will improve as much as 30-40% because of your coaching methods...that's a lot. I thought I had it down when it came to tennis technique...I've read countless tennis books, taken countless lessons and I have taught some tennis working as an assistant to some very well known teaching professionals...Oscar's method may be coined modern but to me it's more "organic" than anything else. Feel free to quote me. How about next Sunday if you have an opening? Dan Doroux,RCI Racquet Club, Irvine CA

“After sensing something wasn’t right watching our children take lessons from different pros, I did some research and bought Oscar Wegner’s DVDs. They made perfect sense so I called Oscar whereupon he sent me to an MTM certified coach, John Carpenter. My 4 year old Noah and 8 year old Leah have been taking lessons from John for a couple weeks. The improvement has been incredible. I could not even anticipate my daughter looking like a pro in such a short time, achieving a 144 ball rally in three weeks of lessons. Further research and watching my 4 year old son rally like a little pro makes me feel both are getting world class coaching. But the biggest gift John and MTM has given them is a love to play tennis that did not exist before. Now they always want to play. ” Yury Gampel Calabasas, CA

There is more than enough evidence that there is one best way to start all tennis players and if you don't think this is why the Russians dominate the women's rankings, read the Spartak Article on www.moderntenniscoaches.com in the MTM forum. Or is this coach wrong?

Tatiana Matokhnyuk, top international Russian coach to World #3 Nadia Petrova and Marcus Baghdatis said about an MTM Coaching Clinic held by MTI (in Cyprus, home to Baghdatis): "You won't find beginners improve this quickly with any other method. Modern Tennis is the only way to teach at all levels, it's how we do it Russia...surely everyone teaches this way."

Maybe tennisking1 knows her. I would like to know what he thinks of Oscar Wegner of www.tennisteacher.com. I have taught tennis for 30 years and every USPTA and PTR method down the pike I've tested personally. Though I am a PTR Pro, I teach MTM, Modern Tennis Methodology because it gets instant results. I don't follow Oscar, I follow his results. If you were overseas during the 1990s teaching tennis, you must have seen his famous TV tennis tips that appeared in 150 plus countries on ESPN International but never to this day appeared on USA TV. He was also the Spanish Commentator for tennis as well as is responsible for developing Guga Kuerten, who he coached for eight years. Are you familiar with him?

We are about to go public with our MTM certification at www.moderntenniscoaches.com. Evidence and history say MTM works best. Do you know of any tennis methodology that works better? I will promote it if you do. I know tennis theory like very few do. If you don't think so, check out the History of Tennis link above which just contains excerpts. I have five years of research and 30 years of tennis study and teaching behind me.

If you are going to attept to coach your kids, make sure you use proper technique from the very first day. No forehand grip serves or forehand grip volleys. Once that is ingrained and they have been allowed to have bad technique, it will be hard to get them to change to the correct techniques, especially if they have begun to play competitively. It is better to start them off slowly and correctly than to let them have bad mechanics just because they can win a match with it when they are young. They will eventually hit a wall and be unable to beat players with good techniques. It is called good technique for a reason.

As I said before, first one who leave the race are the ones who do not have sound technique.

A male that is #300 in the world is a great player and would easily beat her, but that #300 male beats most everybody he plays other than the very top players and those close in ranking to him.

300 ATP can easily beat Martina Hingis or any female professional player.On the other hand he is 300 ATP because this is his value, and he cannot beat almost everybody he plays other than very top players.It is good when he beats players close to his ranking, and when he beats somebody 50-100 places better it is called upset.

Looking stricly tennis wise to be 300 ATP is great achievement, but if ones looks at it using cost/benefit analysis 300 ATP player is a person who wasted someone&#168;s money and his time.

300 ATP can easily beat Martina Hingis or any female professional player.On the other hand he is 300 ATP because this is his value, and he cannot beat almost everybody he plays other than very top players.It is good when he beats players close to his ranking, and when he beats somebody 50-100 places better it is called upset.

Looking stricly tennis wise to be 300 ATP is great achievement, but if ones looks at it using cost/benefit analysis 300 ATP player is a person who wasted someone¨s money and his time.

Let me say how exactly correct you are! It sounds like your daughter was ranked somewhere in the same range as I was on the men's tour. (300-400 range). It felt good to have the respect of people who knew how good you were at tennis, but I made hardly any money compared to the expenses I had coming out. The companies can't sponsor everyone and the food and travel expenses are crazy. Luckily I had great gear and clothing sponsorships with Head and Adidas, but they didn't give me money. After awhile, stressing out about whether you were going to have the money to continue can really put pressure on you mentally. I was a claycourter who lived in the United States, so guess what, I had to go to South America and Europe to play claycourt tournaments. It was very expensive. Maybe I should have learned to chip and charge, huh? There is no argument in me about anything you say Bubo. I can tell you know your stuff. It's nice to see how another coach thinks.

. However, it is a lot more fun when you are playing high level tennis and you have good technique.

If one does not have good technique, it is almost impossible to play high level tennis.
It is no fun at all.On the contrary, it is very frustrating.

I will give an example.

I learned tennis by myself.I started rather late (12 year old), and except going few month in tennis school, the rest of it I did it by myself.I watched better players play, I played against recreational players on the way up, I had one tennis book which I reread hundred times, and played against wall (sometimes 5 yours in one day).

I was number 3 junior in my country, but because I did by myself I had a lot of shortcomings:my serve was weak, I could not play volleys and overhead smash.

I was known that I was consistent (always played very close to my capabilities).

In my playing career I would never loose of somebody objectively weaker player.There is one exception.Twice I played one recretional player, and I lost both times.

I was counterpuncher, I fed off another player&#168;s ball speed.I did not feel comfortable when I had to lead the game.That player just did that, and called me to the net many times where I was helpless.

One thing I wanted to say for sometime:I must publicly acknowledge Coach.We have completely different tennis backgrounds, and different goals in tennis, but I like very much his wisdom, honesty and impartiality.He is right person for Super Moderator

Hey. I've worked with kids alot in the past. I'm a certified child and youth worker. One of the things that really helps when working with kids is to notice when they want to do things on their terms and when they want instruction. Its too easy to fall into the trap of trying to direct a child at all times. The child who wants to teach themselves for the moment won't respond to your commands, lessons, or suggestions. Also, they will grow to dislike the game. When they can experience the joy of the game and the learning process for themselves they are much more likely to continue on with their practice.

Hey. I've worked with kids alot in the past. I'm a certified child and youth worker. One of the things that really helps when working with kids is to notice when they want to do things on their terms and when they want instruction. Its too easy to fall into the trap of trying to direct a child at all times. The child who wants to teach themselves for the moment won't respond to your commands, lessons, or suggestions. Also, they will grow to dislike the game. When they can experience the joy of the game and the learning process for themselves they are much more likely to continue on with their practice.

I've been coaching tennis mostly undistinguished for 30 years until the last 5 years when I figured it out. I have a Masters in Education so I might be an egghead, too, but I know a bit about coaching. Nothing inspires a child like instant success at doing something well. If it feels natural, and is efficient, and allows the child to enjoy correct biomechanical technique, you will get the child's attention like never before. First of all, I never tell my students what to do. What if it doesn't feel right to them or they misunderstand my words from their reality, such as when I taught a lot of new Chinese players working with Lin Di, who is a tennis legend in China, a National Coach, as well as their best male player to date. Lin hardly spoke English so I kept it very simple with suggestions to copy the pros. Even with tiny tots, I teach to emulate the pros with as efficient a swing as possible, only teaching "touch the ball, touch the shoulder" and only emphasizing from the contact point to the finish with the butt of the racket pointing to where they want the ball to go when they finish over the shoulder.

All I can tell you is every child I've taught the last five years using this simple methodology has suddenly started to pay attention when they see and sense they can hit with instant topspin and biomechanical efficiency. If you don't believe it, I'll send you a video link with an average 5 year old right off the street taught by Susan Nardi who I also worked with and even with foam balls, she gets a ten ball rally from a kid in less than ten minutes from meeting him and his picking up a racket for first time in his life.

Kids grow to dislike the game only when they are given false data or don't enjoy instant success. You are correct, and you explain why the USTA, USPTA, and PTR methods do not work with the masses. My experience is that every child who is taught simple techniques to copy the pros wants to play more and will suddenly listen to a coach who guides them and liberates the athlete waiting to come out in everyone, even if for some it takes a bit longer than others.

Hey. I've worked with kids alot in the past. I'm a certified child and youth worker. One of the things that really helps when working with kids is to notice when they want to do things on their terms and when they want instruction. Its too easy to fall into the trap of trying to direct a child at all times. The child who wants to teach themselves for the moment won't respond to your commands, lessons, or suggestions. Also, they will grow to dislike the game. When they can experience the joy of the game and the learning process for themselves they are much more likely to continue on with their practice.

I completely agree with you.I will give you an example:

- I was giving group tennis lessons to children 8-14 years old, and my daughter was 5 at the time.I bought her a smalll tennis racket, and took her with.Believe it or not she hit no tennis ball;she rather watched the other children play and she liked to play in red clay.

- when she started to go to school I wanted to teach her 1 on 1.She did not want.She would bring somebody from the class, and the beginning I would teach the other person, and she would watch it from chair empire.Little by little she participated more and more till she did not ask for presence of the other person

- when she was older in certain time intervals I would ask her what she would like to do.Then, she would choose some drill she likes the most or I would let her organize whole practice

- as she was older I would teach her, and I would explain why I do what and how I do so that she participates, and that she becomes more and more independent

- she stopped playing professional tennis in 2005, and now is in the law school.Everytime we talk we comment something about tennis.I can see how much passion and love she still has for the game, and how much she understands the game.

When I say that child has to be directed means that you give him space, within boundaries you decide on.Child is happy because he has fun, and you as a coach are happy because child is learning.

If you let child behave instictively, you will get very chaotic situation.Child may have fun, but he will learn nothning.

"Tennis In 2 Hours" by Oscar Wegner (in any majoar bookstore) and his DVDs (available online) teaches how easy it is to learn tennis with proper basics, instinct and feel. Kids take to it like fish to water, and you will be able to rally with your child in minutes while demonstrating the techniques used by the pros right from the start.

Oscar also offers a certification program for parents to insure proper application of his methodology, whether the child is being coached by the parent or someone else.

Try it - Richard Williams did and got pretty good results...

I read this post about "Tennis In 2 Hours", so I took "Instant Tennis" by Dennis Van Der Meer, and watched it.I watched it long time ago, and wondered why someone so famous would make such video.There people "learn" all basic strokes (forehand backhand groundstrokes,volley, overhead smash, and serve) in 10 minutes.

It is obvious that we do not talk about same tennis.They talk about tennis as exercise, and I talk about highest level of tennis play for each is needed at least 10 years or 10,000 hours just to see if own has potential to become professional tennis player.

They have nothing in common, and should be kept separated because they cause confusion because one may think that there is fast way to learn tennis.